Knee Injuries

ACL injuries: ACL (Anterior cruciate ligament) runs diagonally down from the front of the knee, providing stability in joints. Sometimes ACL injuries can be serious & require surgeries.

These ACL tears are graded from one to three. A grade I can be offered as sprain is a mild injury to ACL ,while grade 3 refers to a complete tear in which athletes who participate in contact sports such as football or soccer , often injures their ACL’s, However contact sports are not the only cause of this injury.

Improper landing from the jump (gymnastics) or quickly changing the direction of movement can also lead to injury to the ACL.

PCL injuries: PCL (posterior cruciate ligament is attached to the back side of the knee, which connects the joining bones (femur & tibia) & produces stability to the joints. An injury to the PCL requires powerful force while the knee is in a bent position. This usually happens when athletes fall hard onto a bent knee or is in an accident that impacts the knee while it is bent.

Meniscal Injury When athletes refer to torn cartilage in the knee, they are probably talking about a meniscal tear. Menisci are the two soft wedges of cartilage between the thigh bones & shin bones & acts as a cushion while performing sports activities. These pieces of the menisci / cartilage can tear suddenly during sporting activities. They may also tear slowly due to aging. With a sudden meniscus tear during sport activities a pop may be heard or felt in the knee. After an initial injury, pain, swelling & tightness may increase over the next few days.

Bursitis: Bursae are the small fluid filled sacs that cushions the knee joints & allow the tendons & ligament to slide easily over the joints. These fluid sacs can swell & become inflamed with overuse or repeated pressure on the knee joints. That is termed as Bursitis. In most cases bursitis are not very severe & can be treated with conservative P.T Management.

IT band syndrome: Iliotibial band syndrome is the most common cause of lateral knee pain in runners. It is an overuse injury that results from repetitive friction of the IT band over the lateral femoral epicondyle. Studies have also demonstrated that weakness or inhibition of the lateral gluteal muscles is a causative factor in this injury. IT Band syndrome is the most common overuse injury found in runners and cyclists.

Symptoms: Hip pain, clicking sound in knee, knee pain, warmth and redness outside of knee, pain in stair climbing and rising.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome/ runner’s knee: It is an overuse injury that results from activities that cause pressure or friction on the cartilage behind the kneecap. Patellofemoral pain syndrome occurs frequently in athletes who participate in sports that involve running, jumping, or squatting Such as running, football, basketball etc.

Symptoms: pain during activities that bend the knee, including squatting or climbing stairs. Pain after sitting for extended periods with knees bent, crackling or popping sounds in the knee when standing up or climbing stairs.